Surprise, Surprise
by Erudit
Summary: It’s almost Yugi’s birthday and the little hikari is all alone, or is he? YYY
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Surprise, Surprise**

**Author:** Erudit

**Pairings:** YY/Y; S/J, M/M and R/B mentioned

**Genre: **Romance/Angst

**Warnings: **Shonen ai (That means male/male content!), Tea bashing, likely rape and suicide attempt

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters (though I wouldn't mind owing some of them).

**Intro:** It's almost Yugi's birthday and the little hikari is all alone.

_Blablabla_- Thoughts

/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link

"blablabla"- normal talking

Yugi sat in his room, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. His thoughts were miles away, centered on a certain yami. Atemu had been more distant recently. He always seemed to have something to do when Yugi wanted to talk to him. And he was not the only one. Lately all his friends seemed to have developed a busy private life.

Ever since Joey and Seto Kaiba got together, his best friend spent the afternoons (and most of the nights too) at Kaiba's mansion.

Malik and Marik had gone back to Egypt with their sister to check up on a few things.

And Ryou … the other hikari spent all his time trying to teach Bakura the modern ways of life. Yugi didn't even want to know how many things Bakura had already blown up or cut to pieces. He well remembered the first time Atemu had tried to cook, and the Warfield that they had had to clean up after that attempt. Ever since that incident they had agreed upon Yugi doing the cooking, which was something the young hikari thoroughly enjoyed.

Tristan was currently on an exchange-trip in Europe (something he probably did to impress Serenity) and wouldn't come back for another two months, and Tea … well … he had found out that she only kept talking to him to get on Atemu's better side, and had therefore started to ignore her. He might be innocent but surely that didn't include being totally oblivious to everything going on around him.

A few weeks ago Yugi overheard his yami and Tea arguing. What it was about he had not been able to make out but it had ended in Atemu telling Tea to stay away from him and Yugi. Atemu had been upset the entire day and had from that moment on avoided to be in Tea's presence. Yugi was just glad that his yami hadn't found out that he had been eavesdropping on them, even if it was just unintentionally. He didn't even know why he had stayed in the first place. He could have easily slipped out of the room and leave both of them alone. As a punishment for his curiosity, he supposed, he now had to live with the knowledge of the quarrel but couldn't ask his yami about it since Atemu would then realize that he had listened in on them. And that would surely disappoint him.

Talking of Atemu, Yugi wondered what the former pharaoh was doing now. He had mumbled something about helping Kaiba before he left but hadn't stayed long enough to further explain. Yugi sighed. Atemu had been helping Kaiba a lot in the past few weeks. Did that mean that Seto was in trouble or was his yami just too lazy to make up new excuses for his sudden disappearances? Yugi sadly had reasons to believe that it was the latter. For Yugi knew that Atemu couldn't have been helping Kaiba. Just yesterday he had tried to call his yami at Kaiba's mansion, and the CEO had denied knowing where the pharaoh was. Then Joey had taken the phone out of his boyfriend's hands and had told him about what Yami was supposedly doing for Kaiba, and that Kaiba seemed to have forgotten it already, and, and, and. Joey had kept rambling on for a few minutes trying to cover up for Atemu, until Yugi had just hung up, feeling tired and on the verge of tears. Not only was his yami lying to him, no his best friend seemed to have taken Atemu's side, and was now lying to him as well.

When the ex-pharaoh had come home that night, Yugi had acted as if nothing had happened. He was not ready yet to hear Atemu's new excuses, and since Joey obviously had not had time to tell Atemu about his call, his yami had acted as if nothing had happened. They had eaten together silently, only here and there commenting on the food and the weather, until the former pharaoh had excused himself to go to bed. Yugi had sadly watched him leave, all his fears confirmed, as they had never had to talk about weather before. Had there been nothing else to talk about? Atemu used to tell him explicitly about his day, mentioning every little detail so that his little hikari wouldn't feel left out and Yugi did the same. Obviously it didn't matter anymore. He didn't matter.

Today, after breakfast, Atemu had once again left Yugi to himself, and, no matter how many times the hikari told himself that it was just his imagination and fear of losing Atemu, the sinking feeling in his stomach told him otherwise. Atemu was drifting away from him.

_He probably sees nothing but a burden in me. He always has to protect me from bullies. To him I am a nearly seventeen-years-old child. _Yugi glared at the wall angrily, as if it was its fault for Atemu not liking him anymore.

_Or maybe he's never liked me. _Yugi continued hesitantly after a few seconds, and his wide amethyst eyes which usually held so much joy, although at that moment nothing but anguish and hurt could be seen in them, were brimmed with tears. To find out that the person one loved so much didn't care for one at all, was a feeling the young one couldn't bare. With heart-breaking sobs he threw himself on his bed and buried his head in the pillow. _Yami hates me, Yami hates me, Yami hates me. _Yugi repeated in his head, time after time declaring what he thought to be true.

A few days ago Yugi had asked Atemu if he could help him, in an effort to spend more time with his dark half, but Atemu had brushed off his help as if fearing that Yugi's presence alone would doom the project he was working at. _I always destroy everything he works so hard for. I get hurt so easily. He has to constantly worry for me. _For a moment Yugi hoped that Atemu would feel his anguish and ask him what was wrong but no sound came through the mind link. The former pharaoh had long ago stopped caring for his hikari's feelings. The mind link was closed tightly.

"Yami hates me." Yugi stated softly after some time. His tears had subsided, he had none of them left, and he was looking out of the window from his place on the bed. His eyes held a defeated look in them. The hikari was broken. His soul crushed by the very one who once saw it as his duty to protect Yugi from all harm.

Suddenly a bell chimed and a deep baritone voice announced the presence of the ex-pharaoh: "Yugi, I'm home." Yugi sat up hurriedly and, in an effort to hide his distress, brushed away his tears. He needn't have worried though, as the Atemu didn't even look into his room as he passed by to change in his own room.

"How was your day?" asked Yugi softly, hoping to start a conversation. "It was ok." The ex-pharaoh sighed. "Listen Yugi: Bakura invited me to a movie." Yugi waited for his yami to continue, hoping that he might be invited too. He had spent the past few days at home and was quite bored. But no invitation followed.

"I just came home to change clothes. I might come home late, so don't wait up for me, ok, little one? I don't want you all tired tomorrow." In a fleeting moment of sarcasm, Yugi wondered how it would matter if he was tired tomorrow, as long as he spent the entire day at home anyways. "Why? Are we doing something special?" "We?" Atemu sighed again. Obviously a we didn't exist anymore.

"No, I am sorry, little one. I have to help Kaiba again tomorrow." "How long are you going to have to help him?" Yugi wondered. He wished Atemu would make up something new. Anything as long as it wasn't the same old lie. Every time his yami mentioned it, a knife seemed to cut through Yugi's heart and soul. If he said something else, then at least Yugi wouldn't know if it was true or not.

"I don't know, little one. Hopefully not for much longer." The ex-pharaoh stated. "Well, I have to go. Enjoy your evening, Yugi." And with another chime, Atemu had once again left their home.

Yugi was tempted to look out through the window and watch his dark half but he stayed on his bed, wishfully thinking back to a time when Atemu had been in need of him. Had there even been such a time? Had the pharaoh ever really been in need of him?

-to be continued-

Please review. I'll continue as soon as I see that somebody is interested in this story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Surprise, Surprise – Chapter 2**

**Author:** Erudit

**Intro:** Atemu has once again left to help Kaiba and Yugi decides to go for a walk.

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_Blablabla_- Thoughts

/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link

"blablabla"- normal talking

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Atemu had gotten home quite late the last day. Yugi had still been awake when he heard the familiar bell chime. The ex-pharaoh had seemingly stopped for a second to peek into Yugi's room but the little hikari had been too busy trying to fake sleep to really be sure. Maybe he had just imagined it.

The next morning, his yami left once again to help Kaiba after their usual routine of silent breakfast. As Yugi's grandpa was visiting Professor Hopkins in America, the shop stayed closed and Yugi had once again nothing to do. _Maybe the shop needs cleaning? _Yugi wondered as his head poked in the shop. _I mean, I've just cleaned it yesterday, but surely it's once again dusty?_ He started rummaging around in the shop, cleaning the already sparkling game-boxes and dusting off imaginary filth from some of the cards in display, in an effort to keep himself from thinking about his yami. With a sigh he finally gave up, accepting defeat as tears began to run down his cheeks. He closed the door to the shop and plopped down on the couch in the living room, giving in to his mood and crying with heart-breaking sobs.

Sniffing, he decided that sitting at home was maybe not the best idea, and he got ready to leave the house. He decided against wearing his usual attire as it reminded him of Atemu, and instead wore some faded out jeans and a violet shirt which resembled his eyes. He ignored the fact that it had been Atemu who had bought him that shirt in the first place, and left the house hoping to forget all his problems and maybe meet a new friend. _Maybe I should check up on Tea? _Yugi looked down the street to the house he knew Tea lived in but when he saw a suspicious-looking man leaning right next to Tea's door, he decided against it and went to the park instead. On the way to the park was a new ice-cream-parlour. He could already see the blinking advertisement on the other end of the street. Maybe he'd go check it out. Joey would be quite jealous to find out that his best buddy went eating ice-cream without him. _Maybe he should have spent more time with me, then!_ Yugi thought angrily, his mind made up. He'd go eat some ice-cream just to spite Joey. He himself was, after all, no big ice-cream-fan. He usually got a stomach-ache from eating too much cold food but right at the moment he didn't care. And maybe Atemu would stay at home by his side when he got sick.

When he was about to enter the parlour, he suddenly saw in the corner of his eyes a person who he very well knew. _What's Joey doing here?_ Yugi stopped dead, and instead of entering the shop, settled for spying through the big windows. And he had been right. His best friend was sitting on one of the comfy looking chairs, drinking a double Chocolate Shake, and talking to none other than Atemu! _So that's what working for Kaiba means to him_, his mind dryly supplied. He felt tears rising as he also recognized Ryou and Bakura sitting with his yami. Even Seto Kaiba didn't seem to have anything better to do than drinking a coffee next to his boyfriend. Yugi might have been ignorant before but not even he could deny what he was seeing now. A grim expression settled on his face as he suppressed his tears. Slowly, he turned around and continued to go to the Park. His mind seemed to be in a state of shock as no thoughts dared trespass. _I hate Yami_, he stated, wishing it was true. _Hate him, hate him, hate him_. No matter what Atemu had done before, the little hikari had always been able to forgive him. But this time the ex-pharaoh had gone too far. _Maybe I should run away. Start a new life somewhere else; without them around. _He angrily glanced back at the ice-cream-parlour one last time, before turning to the left and entering Domino Central Park.

The park was quiet and empty for a sunny day. The children rather went to the beach than staying in the hot city. As if in trance, Yugi walked to his favourite tree in the middle of the park, and sat down, leaning against the tree. He remembered the time when the gang would come here together. Atemu would always sit on one of the branches, liking to sit higher than everybody else. He would always look around for potential troublemakers, as he hadn't wanted his little light hurt. Yugi would have just laughed about his yami's antics, and talked to Joey about a new game that his grandfather had shown him the day before. The blonde would be sitting right in front of him, an angered expression on his face, as they probably would have run into Seto Kaiba on their way to the park. The CEO always seemed to know where his puppy was at, and made sure to tease him at least once a day. Now, though, their teasing was more of a foreplay, both of them enjoying it thoroughly, and often making Yugi blush with what they were saying. Then, Atemu would throw a tantrum, yelling at them for hurting his light's innocence. Yugi grinned at those happy memories. Atemu had always been so over-protective about him. _Now, he doesn't care anymore. _Even though Yugi tried to suppress his tears, an anguished sob escape his lips, as he desperately tried to think of another happy memory. He didn't want to cry in public. It would just show how weak he was, and confirm what his yami was so obviously thinking about him.

Yugi continued sitting under the tree for the entire day, ignoring his stomach's need for food. The first time he actually thought about going home was when he realized that it got dark already. And when it started raining as well, he hurriedly got up and made his way home.

_Somebody is following me. _Yugi turned around again but couldn't see anybody. The feeling that he was followed never left, though. He started walking faster, but then his follower seemed to walk faster as well. Yugi shivered. He was cold. It had stopped raining a few minutes ago but the short time it had rained had been enough to drench him completely. He was soaking wet. Yugi turned around a corner, hoping to see somebody else walking through the streets but he and his mysterious follower were completely alone. Hurriedly, he started to speed up once again. He was almost running now, but his follower didn't seem to mind. He kept up easily. A short squeaking noise was the only warning he got before somebody roughly pushed him against the nearest wall.

"Hello, pretty one." Somebody sighed against his ear. Yugi could feel the man's arousal as his attacker pressed himself against the hikari. He tried to push the man away but he was too weak. The man was much stronger and only was turned on by his actions.

"Oh, yes." His attacker moaned in his ear, licking it in the process. "You're good, pretty. This will be nice. Keep on going." The voice was teasing him, showing him the reasons for Atemu hating him. He couldn't do anything to keep himself from harm. He always needed the ex-pharaoh's help. He was too weak.

/Yami, help/ he yelled through the mind link, panicked. The man was beginning to remove his clothes, ripping his pants in the process. /Yami/ he yelled again but no response came. Atemu didn't hear his hikari. /Help! Yami, help/ The little one yelled again. Nothing happened. He was all alone.

The man had finally succeeded in pulling off Yugi's jeans. Yugi could feel that his attacker himself was already naked. A hand sneaked under his shirt and roughly pinched his skin. Yugi tried to wriggle free but the man's grip was too strong.

"Yes, pretty, keep going!" the man's hoarse voice once again cut through the air, and he could feel the erection pressing against his naked skin. Only his underwear still kept the man from doing what he came to him for.

"Please leave me alone!" Yugi whimpered but it had no effect on his attacker. /YAMI/

Suddenly, a window above them opened, and a woman yelled: "What's going on down there?" The man let go of him immediately, and was gone in a flash, leaving Yugi alone. Yugi collapsed, sobbing relieved that nothing really had happened, not noticing how the woman rushed to his aid.

Yugi flinched when somebody touched his arm, and looked up, expecting once again his attacker.

It wasn't. "It's alright. I won't hurt you." The woman coaxed him gently and Yugi let himself be led into the woman's apartment. "Let's get you cleaned up a little. Do you want to take a shower?" Yugi nodded, still dazed, and not really noticing what was going on around him. "Good. Just put your clothes on the floor. I'll give you some of mine to wear. They should fit." Yugi nodded once again and stepped into the shower.

Hot drops of water ran over Yugi's skin as he tried to rid himself of his pursuers smell. He seemed to reek of it, no matter how many times he cleaned himself. Then, the curtain was drawn back and somebody slowly pulled him out of the shower. He could feel a towel being wrapped around him.

"I think you were in there long enough." The woman told him softly, as she pulled him into her living room. There, on a chair, she had placed some comfortable clothes. "Why don't you put them on? I'll make us some hot coco." Yugi nodded once again, and did as he had been told. Once again fully dressed, he sat down on the woman's couch and blankly stared at the turned off TV in front of him. He registered relieved that the woman's clothes were scented. He couldn't smell the man anymore.

The reality of what could have happened hit Yugi hard. Atemu hadn't come. He had yelled for his help, begged him through the mind link but the ex-pharaoh had made no appearance. /You promised to protect me./ Yugi whimpered through the mind link but Atemu didn't hear it. He had sealed his side of the link and was therefore cut of from all of Yugi's thoughts. He broke out in sobs once again. But this time his tears weren't that of relief but those of disappointment and final realization. Atemu really didn't care anymore.

"Here." A cup of hot coco was held under his nose. He sniffed and looked up. The woman smiled at him encouragingly. "You'll see, once you've gotten something warm into your system you'll feel a little bit better." Yugi nodded, and gratefully took the cup she had offered him. "I'll call the police now." The woman announced. "The sooner we tell them, the bigger the chance is that they'll find that asshole." Yugi nodded once again. Somehow he didn't seem to be able to say anything.

A few minutes later, the woman once again entered her living-room, balancing a hot coco on her left hand and some peanut-butter-sandwiches in her other hand. She sat down next to Yugi, who was curled up on the couch, gripping his hot coco with both his hands, and staring in his cup as if he wanted to read his future in it. "They are coming over. I hope you don't mind being asked a few questions." The woman stated. "Do you want me to call your family? They might want to know where you are at." Yugi shook his head.

"Don't you think that it might be easier if your parents were here with you?" The woman inquired, tilting her head in a confused manner.

"My parents are dead." Yugi mumbled, his lips moving hardly at all. The only one who could be notified was his yami, and he didn't want Atemu to know what had happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago." Yugi finally looked up. "My grandfather is in America right now. There is no one to notify." _No one who cares at least_, his mind added.

The woman nodded in understanding. "Do you want to spend your night here? I have a guest room. It might be more comfortable for you to not be alone tonight." Yugi nodded gratefully. "My name is Lisa, by the way." The woman added and offered her hand.

Yugi smiled his first real smile for a long time, and gently shook the offered hand. "Yugi." At least he had made a new friend.

"Are you hungry? I made us some peanut-butter-sandwiches. They are my favourites." Yugi smiled again, slowly getting over what had just happened. The man had after all not really done anything bad. He had been saved once again.

"Thank you." He grabbed one of the sandwiches, took a bite and slowly started chewing. "I hope I'm no bother to you." He added after swallowing.

"No, none at all. In fact, I'm quite lonely. I live all alone, you know." Lisa smiled, took a sandwich, and began eating as well.

They had just finished their food, as the door-bell rang, announcing the presence of the police. "You must be strong now. Just for a few minutes. Don't worry. I'll not let them stay long. You need to rest, after all." Lisa said encouragingly, before going to answer the door.

_Finally, they have left. _Yugi sighed, and leaned his head back on the couch. He was exhausted. They had questioned him for two hours. He didn't even know what took them so long. He hadn't really been able to tell them too much about his attacker. And Lisa hadn't seen him either. At least Yami doesn't know. Yugi sighed once again at the thought of Atemu. For the last two hours he had completely forgotten how the ex-pharaoh had been acting the last few weeks. _He hasn't even asked me where I am at. Hasn't he noticed that I'm not home yet? Doesn't he care at all?_ If he hadn't been too tired to even think about crying, he surely would have broken down in sobs again, but as it was, he was too tired to do anything.

"I've prepared the guestroom." Lisa entered the living-room, smiling at Yugi. "You can go to sleep now, if you-" She was interrupted by somebody ringing the bell in a very aggressive manner. "Who could that be?" Lisa frowned and went to answer it. Yugi regarded the clock that was hanging to his left. It was already eleven thirty. Nobody should be ringing at that hour.

Yugi's thoughts were interrupted by Lisa yelling: "Hey, you can't just enter!"

"Where is he? I know he is here!" a deep baritone voice demanded. Yugi sat up straight. He would recognize this voice anywhere. _What is Yami doing here?_ In that minute a very angry looking ex-pharaoh entered the living-room.

Lisa followed. "Yugi, do you know him?"

Atemu had stopped and was looking at Yugi in a confused manner. _Do you really think I tell everybody about you?_ Then, a thought came to Yugi, and he slowly answered: "No."

Atemu's eyes widened. "Y-yugi?" Yugi continued staring at his dark half as if he was a complete stranger. For once his face was showing no emotion at all. _It's the easiest way to end it once and for all. You don't want to be my friend anymore. This is the easiest way to show you that you don't have to lie to me to achieve what you want. It's over once and for all, Yami. _Though his resolution was made, he couldn't bare voicing it through their mind-link. It would surely break him.

"See!" Lisa yelled at Atemu, and pulled the still shocked ex-pharaoh out of the living room.

"But, but-" Atemu didn't seem to be able to utter a simple sentence.

_He is so glad to finally get rid of me. He can't even hide his happiness. _And really, the former pharaoh was grinning widely, looking absolutely thrilled to having finally lost his hikari.

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**Crazyb1tch85:** Don't worry; I'm no fan of threesomes or one-sided love either.

**catti-dono, Kaimei Tenshi and DementedWolf:** Thanks for your reviews. I really enjoyed them.

And: Don't worry the next chapter will be from Yami's perspective.

Please review again. I really need to know how you like it. There's no need to write something nobody likes anyways. And if you spot any mistakes, feel free to tell me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Surprise, Surprise – Chapter 3**

**Author:** Erudit

**Warnings: **YAOI, Tea bashing, suicide attempt

**Intro:** Yami has just been pushed out of Yugi's new friend's apartment, and plans on waiting for Yugi in front of the door when Joey calls him over to the mall.

**I'm sorry it took me so long to put up the next chapter but I've been on vacation for the last period of time and had no access to the net. I hope you still continue reading this story, though.**

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_Blablabla_- Thoughts

/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link

"blablabla"- normal talking

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Atemu grinned stupidly, thinking to have gone crazy. His hikari surely would never deny knowing him. What reasons would Yugi have to do so? Surely it was all a joke. /This is a joke, right/ he asked through their connection but got no answer, as the link was shut tightly from Yugi's side. _It has to be a joke. Surely Yugi wouldn't do something like this. He's too pure-hearted to ever think an evil thought, _Atemu repeated again and again in his mind, not realizing how he was pulled out of the girl's apartment.

"Don't try to enter again or I'm calling the police!" The girl yelled at him, before shutting the door right in front of his nose.

/Yugi? Yugi/ He yelled through the mind-link, hoping his little light would open the door again and laugh at his expression, hug him, and tell him it was all a joke. Then, Yugi would surely ask for his forgiveness, which was something he didn't even need to ask for, as Atemu would always forgive his little one. But the door didn't open again. No Yugi came out, laughing about his fears, and hugging him. In fact, nobody came. He was all alone in the hallway. The lights went out and left him in the darkness.

Atemu stared at the closed door wide-eyed. His smile vanished, being replaced by a pained expression. _He hates me. _The ex-pharaoh hadn't even realized he was crying until the wet drops touched his bare arms. _I- I can't believe, he just did that. Why?_ /Why, Yugi/ The dark half yelled through their mind-link but it was still closed. Yugi obviously ignored him. Atemu slowly slid down the wall next to the door, his cheeks covered with tears, and his eyes closed in the desperate effort to stop crying. He wouldn't leave Yugi alone with a stranger. He would just wait for Yugi to leave the next morning. Then, he would ask him why he was acting so strange. _He'll tell you that he hates you, _stated his sub-consciousness. He ignored it, though deep inside of him something broke.

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The day had started good enough. He had once again met with Yugi's friends to talk about the party Atemu had wanted to throw for his precious hikari. Joey had insisted on meeting in the new ice-cream-parlor, as he had been sure that Yugi wouldn't find them there. They all knew that Yugi avoided ice-cream, as the little one always got a stomach-ache. Actually, Atemu wouldn't mind taking care of his hikari, but he didn't like his little one to be in pain.

Atemu had been sad about having to lie to Yugi once again. Even more so as it was the same old story he had told his little light for the past few weeks. But his hikari seemed to like the fact that he was doing something as useful as helping other people, so he had continued saying it. He wanted his little one to be proud of him. He just hoped Yugi never got around to asking Kaiba about it. Surely Joey had forgotten to mention it to the CEO once again. The puppy's excuse was that the two of them never talked much when they were alone, but Atemu knew that he was just a forgetful person. Everyone knew that. Nevertheless, Joey was a good friend for Yugi, and that was why the ex-pharaoh accepted him. He wanted his little one to be happy. And any of his Yugi's friends would be his own friends as well. Not that he needed any friends. Yugi was all he needed.

Atemu had been on his way home, when he had opened his side of the mind-link again, hoping to indulge in his aibou's pureness and happy feelings. Though he had realized that Yugi was kind of down lately, always sulking around, he had hoped that it would have changed with the beautiful weather. Surely Yugi had gone for a walk, had seen some magnificent butterflies, and was in a good mood. Maybe the two of them could even play a game. He had been rather distant to his little light in fear of spilling the surprise for the party. He knew that as soon as Yugi would mention his birthday, he would tell him about his project. He simply enjoyed seeing his aibou happy too much.

Instead of any cheerful thoughts however, all Atemu could feel were anguish and sadness so profound that the ex-pharaoh had had to bend down, gasping for breath. He had never felt his aibou that depressed. _What has happened to you, Yugi? What is wrong? Tell me, so I can make it better. _The ex-pharaoh had been so upset about his hikari's distress that he failed to notice he hadn't used his mind-link.

Nevertheless, an answer came//You promised to protect me./ Yugi whimpered through the link, before it was once again closed up from his hikari's side.

_What the- _The ex-pharaoh's eyes widened with fear and shock at what his aibou had said. What had happened? When had Yugi needed his protection//Yugi? Where are you Yugi/ No answer came through the link.

It had taken Atemu almost three hours to finally find out where Yugi was at. He could always feel Yugi's aura a little bit. It was like a slight pull at his heart. Their souls were linked after all. He had followed Yugi's trace to the park, then back through some alleyways. Yugi had been on his way home; that was for sure. And then, suddenly he could feel that something had been wrong. Yugi's aura was much stronger around a certain place. _Something must have happened here, _the ex-pharaoh noticed, as he felt anger flood him. Who had dared hurting his aibou? But he wouldn't know as long as he hadn't been able to talk to Yugi.

He continued to follow his hikari's soul's trace, which surprisingly ended up in an apartment not far from that place.

The rest that had occurred was a blur to Atemu, as he still couldn't comprehend what had happened. He just knew that Yugi seemed to be alright and safe. At least that was a relief.

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When Atemu woke up again, the sun was shining on his face, making him sneeze. He hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep. Groaning, he got up, and stretched his sore muscles. He had been lying in that uncomfortable position far too long. Then, he looked at the closed door in front of him worriedly, and checked if his hikari was still in the apartment. When he sensed his aibou's aura, he positioned himself right next to the door again, determined not to leave without his little light.

He had just started counting the dots on the wall in front of him, when a penetrating sound shook him out of his trancelike stupor. _What the- _Something in Atemu's right pocket was moving! The ex-pharaoh jumped up and reached into his pocket to pull out a cell-phone. He stared at it as if it was dangerous. It was still vibrating and giving off the shrill tone.

"And what am I supposed to do now?" He tried to remember what Kaiba had told him about those devices, and pushed a random button. The phone fell silent. "That can't be right." The ex-pharaoh declared as he once again investigated the phone. "Somebody should be talking to me now." He sighed dejectedly. He would never understand those modern day devices. _What do people have against messengers? They were much easier to handle. You could simply tell them what you wanted them to do. _This was one of the situations in which Atemu missed Yugi the most. His little light always knew what to do.

Atemu almost let the cell-phone fall, when it started ringing again. "Oh for Ra's sake!" he exclaimed exasperated.

Somehow, he didn't even understand how he did it himself, he managed to push the right button for once, and could hear Joey's frantic voice booming through the hallways.

"Joey!" He yelled in fear of not being heard. Suddenly it was quiet on the other side, and then he could hear Seto Kaiba's calm voice. "Put the cell-phone to your ear, Yami. And you don't have to yell, former cousin."

Atemu usually wasn't very fond of the CEO but right at that moment he was glad that his aibou had such great friends. "Thank you, Kaiba." He sighed when he finally held the phone in the right position. He could hear the sound of a car in the background and the sound of Mokuba's video game, and supposed he finally understood the advantages cell-phones had over messengers.

"Hey, Yami! Can you hear me now?" Joey's voice once again talked to him.

"Yes, I can. What are you calling for, if I may ask?"

"We've got somethin' dat we want you to look at for you know what. Can you come to Central Mall ASAP?"

"Well, actually-"

"Great! We'll see you in a few." And with a click Joey was gone once again.

Atemu glared at the device for a few seconds. He wasn't used to people not letting him finish. Usually people listened to his every word. Then, he decided he might as well continue with his plan for Yugi's birthday. His light surely would come home later on. He could talk to him then. And Yugi's birthday was, after all, the day after tomorrow. Everything had to be ready by then.

He pushed some random buttons to turn off the cell-phone but unfortunately pressed a combination for a loud siren to go off, which in turn seemed to piss of Yugi's host's neighbors, as the door right next to him flew open, and an old woman started yelling at him. When she began looking for something to throw at him, he hurriedly left the house.

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"Man! What took you so long, Yams?" Atemu scowled at Joey's exuberant greeting. He hated it when Joey called him Yams; especially when Bakura was standing close by, as he was in that specific case. The tomb-robber was snickering right next to his hikari, who he had his arm around. He shot Bakura a warning look, signifying that his day had been bad enough. The tomb-robber sobered immediately.

"What's wrong, Yami?" Ryou asked concerned. He tilted his head in the same way that Yugi always did, his big brown eyes becoming even larger, equaling more and more a puppy. Obviously all lights had found out the effect of their sheer loveliness and cuteness, and knew how to use their powers appropriately.

Yami turned to look away, not wanting to talk. Unfortunately Ryou's question had sparked the other's interest, and now all of them were circling around him, and pestering him with questions.

"All right, all right, I'll tell you, if you just shut up!" He finally yelled. He could already feel the headache that he was going to get. Oh, how he wished Yugi was here with them now._ I really am a hopeless case, am I not?_

Atemu was just about to tell them what happened the other day when a high-pitched, girly voice announced Tea's presence.

_Oh no. No, no, no. Please tell me it's not her._ If possible, Atemu's mood sank even more, a grim look settling on his face as a brunette girl latched herself onto his left arm.

"Hello guys!" Tea smiled at the group, not noticing how Bakura made gagging noises, and how Kaiba motioned one of his employees to get rid of her.

When Atemu suddenly felt Tea's breath on his face, the ex-pharaoh almost would have sent Tea to the shadow realm out of reflex.

"Hello, Yami-chan!" Tea breathed.

Joey started sniggering right next to him. Atemu rolled his eyes annoyed. _Why_ _does she always have to do that?_ He tried to shake her off, as she began to cut off the circulation in his arm.

"Tea! What are you doing here?" Atemu asked, trying his best to keep his voice calm and face expressionless. Hadn't he made it clear that he didn't want her around the last time they had talked? Obviously he hadn't made it clear enough.

"Why, Yami-chan? Aren't you happy to see me?"

Yami winced at the pet name. _If she calls me that one more time, I swear I can guarantee for nothing._ "Of course we are happy to see you, Tea." He said through clenched teeth, as the girl next to him happily bobbed up and down. He would have yelled at her and told her to leave them alone, had Yugi not already been mad at him. Sadly, his hikari seemed to pity the girl, and Yami didn't want him to find out that he had yelled at Tea once again. Tea would make sure to let Yugi know. She had tried to get to him through Yugi several times already.

"But aren't you usually at your dance class on Wednesdays?" _Please tell me that you are on your way to your dance class_, Atemu begged. Unfortunately he seemed to have done something that needed punishment as Tea's next sentence destroyed his hopes.

"It got cancelled." Tea declared. "Luckily. That way we can go shopping together. What are you looking for, anyways, clothes?" She added hopefully. She rearranged her body in a position she thought would appeal to him, and flashed her eye-lashes.

Atemu shot his so-called friends a glance, begging them to help him get rid of her. He didn't understand how someone could be as dense as she sometimes was. He had told her and shown her on several occasions that he didn't like her that way. She had even been the first person whom he had told about his feelings for his aibou. Obviously she had not listened to a word he had said but had instead just followed the movements of his lips with her eyes, and that had taken up all of her concentration. Or, she simply didn't believe him.

He groaned while thinking about things that Tea might not like. Maybe he should tell her he wanted to buy a tarantula or a pet snake?

"I've heard Pete's shoe store sells its goods for half the price today." Ryou mentioned.

Atemu looked at Tea hopefully. She really liked buying shoes. Maybe she would forget about him? All his hopes were shattered again at Tea's next sentence.

"Who would think about buying shoes when a friend needs help?"

"You really don't need to help me." Atemu hastily interrupted in fear of yet another friendship speech. They had been quite useful at the beginning but by now everyone knew them by heart.

"Nonsense, of course I'll help you." Tea began to drag him along in the direction of the entrance. He should have known he couldn't get rid of her that easily. His hands twitched as he could feel shadows surround them. Sadly, he had given his aibou his word not to send anyone in the shadow realm, and he planned on keeping his promise. At least as long as they were surrounded by people; that way Yugi was bound to find out of his yami's actions.

_Please help me_, Atemu silently begged as he once again glanced back at his friends.

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When they had finally gotten rid of Tea, it was already eight pm, and the Mall was closing up. Therefore, the entire group was in a relatively bad mood. Or, to be more precise, Atemu was in a bad mood while the others tried to cheer him up.

"Seto and I will buy it for you, Yami." Joey reassured him. "We'll set it up for the party as well. Don't worry, buddy. Everything will work out just fine." Joey padded Atemu's back, trying to encourage the disheartened ex-pharaoh.

Atemu nodded. He looked defeated. This really had not been his day. First Yugi had started ignoring him to the point of denying knowing him, and then Tea had dragged him from one shop to the next, showing him all the things he didn't need, and all the things he had never wanted to see. To make it even worse, it had started raining, and he had no umbrella.

"Bye, Yami!" Ryou yelled, as he dragged his own yami in the direction of their home. They had volunteered to decorate the apartment Seto Kaiba had provided for the party, and Ryou was eager to brain storm on how to decorate it. Bakura just shot him a heartening gaze. He had become much more understanding ever since he and Ryou had become a couple. Especially when talking about lovesick yamis. Then, the two of them had a lot in common.

Atemu nodded, once again grateful that Yugi had found such great friends. Then he turned around and hurriedly went in the direction of Yugi's and his home. _Maybe he's home already?_ He tried the mind link but it was still closed.

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By the time Atemu had finally arrived home, he was soaking wet. He immediately went upstairs to the bathroom to put on some dry clothes, leaving a water trail behind. Yugi was not home yet. _Does he plan on staying at the woman's apartment?_ Atemu worriedly glanced out of the window in Yugi's room. How long had Yugi known that woman? What if she planned to hurt him? He began walking up and down in front of Yugi's bed. His aibou had left their house without umbrella as well. Surely, he was just waiting for the rain to stop, and would come home as soon as a dry passageway was possible.

Another glance at the window. No, it had not stopped raining yet. Atemu sighed annoyed; he really was no patient person. Then, he decided he might as well do something useful. Yugi's grandpa had been gone for almost a month, and they hadn't cleaned the store ever since. Surely it was already quite dusty. Yugi would be happy to see him working in the store.

Atemu went downstairs, got some rags they had saved for cleaning purposes, and filled hot water in a bucket. He added cleanser to it, and dragged everything in the store, just to discover that the store was as clean as it could be. The cards were sparkling, the games were neatly stacked, and the floor was polished so neatly that he had almost slipped and spilt the contents of his bucket onto it. _Yugi cleaned it already._ He suddenly felt disappointed. Not only because his plan to surprise Yugi had failed but also because Yugi hadn't even thought of asking him to join the cleaning-process. Usually, the two of them did all the cleaning together. It was much more fun that way.

Atemu went back in the living room, still carrying the bucket and the rags. He looked around, determined to find something else that could use cleaning. _Maybe the bathroom? Or the kitchen? _Every room was entered and observed carefully as Atemu began his work.

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When Atemu looked at the clock the next time, it was already approaching eleven p.m., and Yugi still was nowhere to be seen. The ex-pharaoh wasn't able to hide his nervousness now. The rooms were already sparkling, matching the neatness of grandpa's shop. As he had nothing to do, he stood by the window right next to the door, looking outside expectantly. _Why hasn't he come home yet?_

His right hand was drawing patterns on the windowsill. He couldn't seem to hold still. A weird sense of foreboding came over him. _Something is wrong._ His breathing was going heavier, and he was beginning to sweat. To conclude, he didn't like the situation he was in now. He'd never panicked before in his entire life. _Once Yugi has returned home, I'm going to make sure he can't leave the house on his own for the next few days. Who am I kidding? I'm not going to let him leave the house without me ever again._

Crimson eyes continued to observe the empty streets, as his mind began searching for a trace of Yugi's soul. The mind link was still closed from Yugi's side of the link but Atemu had his ways to get in nevertheless. Once he had found out where his aibou was at, he could begin working on his aibou's defenses until he could force open the mind link. It was not something he usually did but he was quite desperate by now.

_He's back at the park again! What in the name of Ra is he doing in the park at this hour? There are all kinds of weird people in that part of town. At least he seems to have been left alone for now but who knows for how much longer? _Now that he knew where Yugi was at, he almost wished he didn't know. Atemu was, if that was even possible, more nervous and worried now than he had been before. That was probably the reason to why it took him at least twice as long to work himself into Yugi's mind than it had taken him ever before. Not that he'd ever tell Yugi about his secret visits in his aibou's mind. Yugi would get the feeling the ex-pharaoh didn't trust him, and that was not the case. Atemu trusted Yugi more than he trusted anybody else. Actually, he trusted Yugi more than he trusted himself. He knew what a sneaky and untrustworthy person he could be, and especially after he had lost his aibou's soul to the Orichalchos because of his own ambition to win the game, he had begun to put more trust into his aibou's decisions and beliefs. He couldn't afford to lose his light just because of his ignorance to see the truth. But Atemu also knew that Yugi had a kind heart, and would not tell him everything in fear of him overreacting. The ex-pharaoh could get very angry. Especially when he found out that somebody had threatened or hurt Yugi in any way. That was something he simply could not tolerate, and many bullies had mysteriously disappeared in one of his tempers.

The first feeling Atemu could make out in Yugi's mind was uneasiness. Clearly, he didn't like the characters that were strolling around in the park at that time of night. Then, he could feel determination. There was something Yugi had planned to do. That was what he was in the park for, and he planned to continue it, no matter how many sinister characters were strolling around and leering at him. Atemu marveled at Yugi's resolve for a second. It was a habit he had clearly taken up from the ex-pharaoh himself. Curious as the ex-pharaoh was (not that he'd ever admit it himself), he began to look around in Yugi's mind for what Yugi was planning to do. Why had Yugi not asked him to accompany him? He could have gotten rid of those people for him in no time. Usually the little one tried to spend as much time with him as possible. Surely, he couldn't still be angry, could he? The foreboding feeling Atemu had felt before came over the ex-pharaoh once again. Something definitely was not right. Was Yugi forced to do something in the park? No. He'd have felt it by now had Yugi not been acting by his own free will.

/Yami./ Yugi softly said through the mind-link.

Atemu cringed. Had he been discovered already? Yugi had never before realized his presence. He was about to respond to his aibou, when he realized that Yugi had not really been talking to him. Yugi was simply thinking about him now.

/I hope you're happy, Yami./ Yugi continued softly, though Atemu could feel pain coming from the other side of the link. Was Yugi hurt? His hands balled into tight fists, so tight in fact that his nails already drew blood, though he didn't even realize it, as all his thoughts were fixed on his aibou. The uneasy foreboding he had felt the entire time was even stronger now. _Something is definitely wrong. What is Yugi talking about? What am I supposed to be happy about?_

/The time has come. I've waited longer than I should have. I simply couldn't do it before. I'm sorry that I'm so weak, Yami. I've always been a weak hikari, haven't I? But that's going to change now, Yami. I'm ready. I'll do it tonight. You'll see. In a few minutes you'll be free./

Atemu frowned in confusion. Yugi didn't make sense. But it didn't really matter to him. He had already moved to the door, his feet moving as if they had a mind of their own. Atemu didn't care that it was still raining; it didn't matter if he got soaked to the bones; all that mattered in that moment was his aibou, his hikari, his love. He began to run in the direction of the park, somehow knowing it could already be too late if he didn't go as fast as possible.

After he had run a few blocks, he remembered he'd not locked the door, but it was already too late to turn around and go back now. It wasn't what mattered in that moment. The air was cold around him and burned in his hot lungs. His feet began to ache but he couldn't stop, and he couldn't afford to run any slower. He had to reach the park in time.

/Ah, here it is. The river. It is a beautiful sight, you know. The rain is falling on the water, the trees bowing in the wind, a mass of yellow and red leaves. Autumn really is beautiful. I am kind of glad I chose this spot. Imagine I'd have tried to do it at home. None of our rooms would have been beautiful enough to remember. This will be right. The last things I'll ever see. Beautiful./ Yugi's soft voice resounded in his mind once again. The hikari had still not realized that Atemu could hear his every word.

_The river? Where is a river? _Panic coursed through the ex-pharaoh's veins, as he began to understand what Yugi was about to do. _Wait for me Yugi, please wait!_

He finally reached the park, and crossed it swiftly, paying no attention to the people around him. He had remembered that there was a river right behind the park. Atemu was quite sure that was where Yugi was at.

His lungs burned, and his feet almost gave way, but he couldn't stop now. He had to continue and find Yugi before the little light could finish what he came to the park for. His life would end if anything happened to Yugi.

_There it is!_ He could make out the river in the distance. _Only a few more yards_, he encouraged himself. _But where is Yugi? I can't see him anywhere._

Atemu came to a halt right in front of the river, breathing heavily, and hastily looking up and down the river-bank. Where was his light at?

/I've once heard not to take too long once you've decided to end your life. Nobody will believe you if you keep talking about it all the time. So, I'll stop now. I've said everything I need to say anyways. Good-bye, Yami! Enjoy your life. May it be happier than mine./ Yugi's final note was free of sadness. The little one had long ago come to terms with his decision. He even seemed to be glad to be able to end his life himself.

Atemu, on the other hand, wasn't glad. He was more scared than he'd ever been in his entire life. His feet were shaking, and his face was for once snow-white. He had finally found Yugi. He could see him standing on a small bridge, directly over the river. Had he not known what Yugi was about to do, he might have found the sight enchanting.

He swiftly moved in the direction the bridge was at, though he already knew that he'd come too late. He was too far away. He'd never reach Yugi in time. Tears were running down his face, and mingled with the many raindrops; despair was evident in his eyes. If Yugi died, Atemu's life had ended as well. He couldn't live without Yugi. Not that he still needed the young one to physically survive, but his heart and soul depended on him. Without Yugi, he'd just waste away. He'd follow his light into death if he couldn't save Yugi now.

Atemu could see Yugi climb over the railing. "Yugi!" he yelled, though Yugi couldn't hear him over the noise, the rain and the river produced. But Atemu was quite sure Yugi would have continued even if he had heard his dark half anyways. "No." He whispered softly, his voice sounding hoarse and strange even to himself. _Please don't, Yugi. Please don't do that to me._

He was about twenty yards away, still running in Yugi's direction, when he could see Yugi jumping down from the bridge. His heart stopped as he saw Yugi flying through the air, and entering the cold water.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" A loud yell resounded through the darkness. "YUUUUGI!" It took Atemu some time to realize it was his own voice. He had never before sounded like that.

He jumped into the ice-cold water right after his light, and began diving for his aibou, as Yugi had not resurfaced yet. A few seconds later, though it seemed more like hours to him, he finally found his hikari's lifeless body, and dragged him back to the bank.

-To be continued-

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**I hope it is not too long-winded.** I somehow had the impression it was. But it was kind of difficult to find a clean transition, linking the beginning of this chapter and the end.

**Please review!**

**Feebeefi, Dragon Master03 (): **No, Yugi is not going to end up with Lisa. **I plan on keeping it a Y/Y fiction.** But she'll be a good friend of both of them, later on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Surprise, Surprise – Chapter 4**

**Author:** Erudit

**Warnings: **YAOI

**Intro: **Yugi is waking up at home, and realizes that his yami had never stopped caring for him. The two of them try to mend the things and their feelings, as Yugi's birthday approaches.

A/N: **Actually, I planned to make it longer, but as I'm quite busy right now (learning for several tests), I thought I'd put up this part for you in the meantime until I'm done with the rest. I just hope you won't be disappointed now.**

**After every xxxxxxx-line, the story will be told from a different point of view. If it is too confusing, let me know, and I'll put up the POVs right away.**

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_Blablabla_- Thoughts

/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link

"blablabla"- normal talking

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Yugi had never felt quite like this before. Strong arms were softly keeping him in place, as a warm body pressed against his. It took him some time to comprehend where he was at and why he was in that position. Somehow he was quite sleepy. He felt exhausted as if he'd just run a marathon.

Then, after some time, he finally realized that the warm body next to him was shaking violently. He could hear strangled sobs, and felt wet drops touch his bare skin. Atemu was crying.

Amethyst eyes opened to look up at the still-shaking ex-pharaoh. Atemu's eyes were closed tightly, as tears ran over tanned skin, just to fall on alabaster-white one. Yugi had never seen his dark half like this. Their mind link was open, and he could feel every single emotion that the ex-pharaoh was feeling at the moment. Despair, sadness, confusion and anger ran through the ex-pharaoh's veins, had him in their clutch, and didn't seem to want to let go. Atemu cursed himself for letting something like that happen to his light. Yugi could feel how new protection spells were created at the ex-pharaoh's will. They were woven around him in a tight net, covering every spot and every possibility. Atemu would never allow something like that to happen ever again.

Yugi began to feel sorry for what he had tried to do. Had he known Atemu would react like that, had he known his dark half still cared that much about him, he'd never even have thought of committing suicide.

Tiredness overcame him yet again, as Atemu's warm body was just too comfy. He snuggled into the ex-pharaoh's embrace (the arms around him tightened once more) and fell fully asleep again.

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When Yugi woke up again, Atemu's arms were still holding him tightly, as if the ex-pharaoh feared Yugi would disappear the moment he let go of him. Yugi's amethyst eyes opened slowly, blinking as they adjusted to the light. Then, they wandered to look at his dark half's face. The ex-pharaoh had fallen asleep some time ago, his breathing even, though his cheeks were still damp. Yugi could still feel the web of protection spells around him tightening. A small hand rose to Atemu's face, softly wiping away the tears. Amethyst eyes looked guiltily at his other half. Why did he have to jump to conclusions so fast? He should have just approached Atemu with his fears, asking him right-out why his dark half was lying. Somehow Yugi was sure that the ex-pharaoh had a good explanation. And he was quite sure Atemu still cared about him. Why else would the ex-pharaoh have jumped into the cold water and have rescued him? Yugi remembered to have seen Atemu in front of him in the water right before he passed out. He knew for a fact that it had been his dark half who had rescued him and carried him home.

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly, afraid of Atemu waking up. Somehow he wasn't able to face his dark half yet. What was he supposed to say once Atemu woke up? Yugi sighed. He had behaved foolishly. The ex-pharaoh would probably never let him go anywhere alone anymore. If Atemu had trusted him before, he surely wouldn't any longer, now that he had seen how unstable Yugi really was.

Yugi looked at his dark half sadly. All in all, he had just made it worse. He had wanted to kill himself because he thought Atemu just saw a little child that always needed protection in him. He had thought that he'd never be Atemu's equal, that the ex-pharaoh would never care for him the way he cared for their other friends. And now, after his stupid suicide attempt, he'd found out that Atemu had really cared for him. But, of course now that he'd proven that he was really a child, that he was not even able to be alone for a few days without doing something idiotically, he'd probably lost the little respect that Atemu might have had. All in all, he'd just achieved proving what he had wanted to escape from. He'd wanted to be strong for once, and had been weak again. Angry tears rimmed Yugi's eyes, as he continued looking at his dark half. _Why do I have to be so weak!_

"Yugi." The ex-pharaoh sighed softly.

Yugi jumped at the sound, and looked up at his dark half anxiously. Had Atemu heard what he'd thought? But, after a few seconds, the little light realized Atemu was still asleep. _He must be dreaming. _Yugi kept looking at his dark half wonderingly. What was Atemu dreaming about?

Suddenly, crimson eyes flew open and Yugi was faced with his worst fear. Atemu had woken up. But instead of seeing anger and disappointment in his crimson eyes, all he could see was worry and infinite care. Yugi stared into Atemu's eyes speechless, not believing that his yami was not mad at him. Surely Atemu just wanted to get his hopes up high to blow up on him later on. Yugi lowered his eyes, and stared at Atemu's chest. He'd never realized up to now that Atemu's red leather-shirt had dark spots on it.

"Yugi?" Atemu asked softly, but the little light winced none-the-less. "Please look at me, little one."

Yugi looked up to meet his darkness' eyes once again, not able to deny Atemu anything. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Now, Atemu would start scolding him, and he'd feel even worse than he'd felt before.

But no scolding came. Instead, tanned hands rose to lightly wipe away his tears, as crimson eyes softened even more. "Please don't cry, little one." Atemu begged as he pulled Yugi closer to himself, shifting their position in the process, so that Yugi ended up lying on top of the ex-pharaoh.

"I'm sorry." Yugi whispered, as his own hands rose to wipe away the offending tears. But that action just made everything worse, and Yugi broke down, sobbing into Atemu's shirt. Strong arms embraced him, and began to comfortingly strike his back.

"Shhh. Please don't cry, little one. Please don't cry." Yugi could feel Atemu opening their mind-links once more, and then he could feel the pharaoh's soothing voice and presence in his head. His yami's mind curled around him like a soft, velvety blanket, and in the back of his mind he could feel how his dark half made him fall asleep. Before Yugi could protest, he'd already drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a beautiful, fresh-mown lawn and cotton-candy, not knowing that Atemu controlled every part of his dream, in fear of him having a nightmare.

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Once his little light had fallen asleep, Yami rolled the two of them around, so that he was once again lying next to his aibou. Then he rose, set on fixing his little one a marvelous breakfast, or maybe brunch, since it was already eleven o'clock. He left Yugi's room (not without looking over his shoulder one more time) and went into the kitchen.

After he'd pulled Yugi out of the water the day before, he'd tried out this life-enforcement- procedures that Yugi had shown him several weeks before. Luckily, he had seemed to be doing it right, as Yugi coughed up some water and began breathing again shortly after. Atemu had been more relieved than ever before in his life, and had carried his little aibou home. He'd left another trail of water on his way to the bathroom, where he hurriedly changed both of them into a set of dry clothes, all the while blushing and trying to not look as his naked aibou. Then, he'd carried Yugi to his bed, and after a few seconds of berating himself, he'd joined his aibou, telling himself that he needed to keep his light warm if he didn't want Yugi to catch a cold. In reality he'd been so afraid that Yugi would disappear once he'd turned his back to his little light that he needed to be close to him. To quench the last bit of his fears, he'd woven a new set of protection spells around his aibou. He'd made sure that something like that never happened again.

He fixed his little hikari a few pancakes with peanut butter and strawberry jam, just as he liked it; made fresh OJ; prepared a plate of fresh fruits, mostly pineapple and water melon; took out some milk in case Yugi favored his cereal; a few chocolate chip cookies were placed on the table as well; toast was toasted; butter, ham and cheese was taken out of the refrigerator; eggs were boiled; and a beautiful red rose was put in the middle of the table. Off course, Atemu wouldn't have managed any of that without having to call up several of Yugi's friends to ask for suggestions and to get a detailed description of how to make the various kinds of food. Sometimes, he decided, it was really good to have friends. Off course, he hadn't told them what had happened the night before, otherwise Joey would have sent Seto Kaiba over to set him straight, and Ryou would have probably told Bakura to get rid of him for Yugi's sake. And he had enough problems as it was without other people trying to kill him.

He had just started preparing hot coco, when a voice interrupted his action of putting marshmallows into the brown drinks.

"Why did you force me to sleep with one of your spells?"

Yami almost dropped all of the marshmallows in his surprise. He hadn't realized the time had passed by that fast and that Yugi was awake again.

"Is that how it's going to be from now on?" Yugi asked angrily. "You forcing me to do things by using your powers? You could have asked me if I had wanted to go to sleep, you know!" Yugi's voice was high-pitched by now, and he sounded as if he was close to tears again. "I'm not a little child to boss around to your liking!" The little light finished off in an angry huff, crossing his arms over his chest, and staring angrily at the former pharaoh, who had not turned around yet.

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Yugi didn't know what had come over him. If one had asked him at that moment why he was yelling at his yami, he would have just shrugged his shoulders. He had felt really sorry for what he'd done just a few minutes ago. And now he was angry as hell, without really understanding why. It was as if somebody else had spoken those words for him. Had it been his pride that made him say such things? No, it couldn't be. Atemu was the proud one. Yugi didn't care for such things. _It must be something else. I have to go and talk to somebody about all of this. I can't keep it bottled up. And Yami is no great help in that aspect. No, I can't talk to him about that. Not now at least. So many things have gone wrong. _Yugi sighed and cast his eyes downwards. His fierce gaze softened at his thoughts. _Maybe it will never be the same anymore. We can't just act as if nothing has happened. _Then he thought about who he wanted to talk about it instead. He needed somebody who was not entirely caught up in the middle of all of this; somebody who could be impartial, and who wouldn't shy away of telling him his or her complete opinion. He needed somebody who was old enough to understand what was going on; somebody who wouldn't hate him if he spilt his feelings for the ex-pharaoh; somebody with an opened mind. And then, as if somebody held a large sign in front of his eyes to tell him which person was the right one, one person, a young woman in fact, came to his mind. _Lisa._

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"I'll be gone for a few hours, Yami."

Atemu winced at how indifferent Yugi sounded. He hadn't even called him mou hitori no boku anymore. Then again, he suddenly realized, his little light hadn't called him that for a long time. Was it too late already? The ex-pharaoh stared down at the two mugs in front of him. White sticky figures were swimming in a puddle of brown something. That was at least what any person, who had never before in his or her live drunk or seen hot coco and marshmallows, would think. Atemu knew better by now. He also knew that his hikari loved this sweet drink. Yugi always made cute little mewling sounds when drinking hot coco. Atemu had wanted to hear those. He missed being close to his hikari. It was somehow as if there was an invisible wall between the two of them now. Atemu didn't understand what had happened.

"It's ok, Yugi." Atemu said quietly to the two cups in front of him. Yugi wouldn't be able to hear him anyways. He had left the room (and with it his dark half) several minutes ago.

And then, for the third time in only two days, the once-proud ex-pharaoh Atemu sank to the floor and cried as his heart broke bit by bit, completely forgetting about the beautifully decorated table and the delicious kinds of food that were prepared on top of it.

_Everything is wrong. I wanted to make it all better by telling Yugi of my love for him tomorrow at the party. I wanted to make everything perfect for him… and now… he can't even stand being in the same room with me! I'm obviously an utter failure. Everything I do turns out wrong! Is it because of what I feel for him? Do the gods hate me that much? Is this my punishment for remaining on earth?_

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Yugi sighed relieved once he had left the Kame Game Shop. He had to sort through his feelings before he was able to face his dark half again. All the time he was near his yami, he felt as if his head or heart might explode any second. There were so many feelings, so many thoughts on his mind… he just didn't know what to do.

He wanted to yell at Atemu, he wanted him to feel as bad as he himself had felt the days before. He wanted Atemu to be in pain, to break down and for once show his feelings, for once tell the truth. Yugi knew it was possible; Atemu had done so during the night when he had cried. The little light had been able to feel every single emotion and thought that he had wanted to feel. In that few minutes that Yugi had been awake, he'd been able to read Atemu like an open book. There had been no carefully guarded secrets, no blocked minds, no lies… just the truth and nothing else. Yugi had liked that feeling. He knew quite well that Atemu was able to pry into his mind anytime the other wanted to do so. He was just surprised that the ex-pharaoh knew nothing about Yugi's feelings for him yet. It almost seemed as if his dark half didn't understand what the hikari felt for him, for Yugi was sure that Atemu could feel his feelings. But that couldn't be, could it? Surely, even somebody as oblivious to such feelings as love had to understand it when seeing it in somebody else's mind? Surely, his Yami couldn't be that blind, could he?

Yugi sighed. Sadly, he had fallen asleep only a few minutes after looking into his dark half's mind. He'd not been able to see any more than Atemu's genuine care for Yugi, and the anger that was directed at the pharaoh himself. And then, when Yugi had woken up the next time, his dark half had been composed once again, simply putting him under a spell, so that little Yugi couldn't annoy him anymore!

"Ah, I'm so angry at him! I could just-" Yugi stopped mid-sentence when he caught the strange looks other people were casting in his direction. "He, he, he." He smiled at them embarrassed, his cheeks immediately flushing a crimson so dark to rival his yami's eyes. _Damn it. Why did I have to say that out loud? _He sighed. He had once again made a fool of himself. Sometimes he felt as if that was the only reason for him to be around: to make a fool of himself, so that everybody else had something to laugh about. The people around him just continued to warily glance in his direction, as if he would pull out a knife at any moment, and try to attack one of them. And, to tell the truth, Yugi might have considered this option had he taken a knife with him when he had left the house, as they were annoying him to no end. _Stupid people. They are just like Yami. They see nothing else in me but a little, weird child that needs parental guidance or maybe even psychological treatment! _He glared at them as best as he could, which, of course, didn't affect anybody around him. He simply couldn't look furious. That in turn, made him feel even more stupid and angry. It was a vicious circle that he wasn't able to stop. Everything led to him feeling worse.

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**Some time later:**

Atemu had been staring holes into the wall, when he finally decided that he had to act if he wanted to win back his little hikari. _I can't just wait for Yugi to come to me and tell me everything. Instead, I should look for Yugi myself and openly talk to him, even if it means spilling some of my secrets._ He would do whatever was necessary to win his aibou back. With one glance at the cold food on the table, he left the kitchen and went upstairs to his room to change. After all, he wanted to look his best when confronting his aibou. He needed to show his light what he could offer him, even if it meant lowering himself into a position a pharaoh would normally never dream of. But then again, he'd never been in love when he had been pharaoh, so how was he supposed to know if he hadn't done the same in ancient Egypt if his little hikari had existed back then.

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"Do you understand what I've been trying to tell you, Lisa?" Yugi asked softly, hopeful purple eyes looking up at his older friend.

The woman nodded softly. "I think I do. And he doesn't know about it? Have you never tried to tell him about your feelings?"

Yugi shook his head, his eyes once again downcast in shame. "I was so afraid." He whispered. "Not only of his reaction but of the reaction of my friends as well. What if they'd hate me? Or even worse, what if he hated me and left once and for all? I don't think I could live without him. Then, I'd rather not live at all." Yugi hadn't told Lisa about his suicide attempt the night before. He was quite sure that his new friend would be worried about him if he did, and he really didn't need another parental figure in his life. Although he wasn't quite sure if he hadn't already made her a parental figure just by asking her for advice.

"You really shouldn't worry about your friends. What friends would they be if they didn't accept you the way you are?" Lisa said encouragingly. "For example, about a year ago I colored my hair in a really nasty yellowish-purple-grey mix. But did my friends desert me? No, they loved me just as they always had. Now, I know it's a little bit different as hair can grow back to its normal color and it doesn't at all concern my personality, but you've always been like this, haven't you? I mean you will still be the same now that you have fallen in love with Yami. You have not changed at all. Why should their feelings change? I know for sure mine won't."

Yugi nodded gratefully, though he wasn't quite convinced.

"And now to this Yami person." Lisa continued. "Am I right assuming it is the same man that barged into my apartment two days ago?"

Yugi nodded, feeling slightly guilty. She'd caught him lying.

"Ah." Lisa smiled. "He is quite a good-looking man, isn't he? But don't worry; I'm not interested in him. As a matter of fact, I'm married already." She added when she noticed his alarmed gaze. "Darrin has to travel a lot. He is hardly ever at home. But once he is, I want you two to meet."

Yugi nodded once again, while gazing at his friend's hand. He hadn't realized the wedding ring before. It was a beautiful golden band. And suddenly he wished he'd get one of those too. He really wanted Atemu to love him.

"But now back to Yami." Lisa interrupted his thoughts. "If he is any good at all, he'll not break of your friendship even if he doesn't return your feelings. You can't help the way you feel, after all. Somebody who leaves another person just because of the feelings that one of them harbors and that aren't returned doesn't deserve to be loved or to have any friends at all. Also…" She smiled again, as she leaned a little bit closer, her eyes sparkling. "I believe that if you truly love somebody, the feeling will be mutual. After all, what good would it be to truly love somebody if you'll be forever unhappy?"

Yugi smiled at her, for the first time in the day feeling a little bit better. Off course, you never knew if you truly loved a person until the end of your life. You could always think you truly loved a person, and then somebody else came around, steeling your heart away. But he was quite sure that Atemu was the right one. Why else should he have been the one to solve the puzzle. That did have to mean something, didn't it?

_It must have been faith_.

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**A hot coco and brownies with vanilla ice-cream later:**

"Thank you for your help." Yugi stated, and he sounded quite sincere. "I really needed somebody to talk to."

"It was nothing. That's what friends are for, after all." Lisa smiled encouragingly. She had been afraid at first that her words had not helped at all.

"Well, thank you anyways." Yugi said. Then, after a look at the clock, he jumped up, hurriedly putting back on his coat and shoes. "Oh, I really need to go. He'll probably be worried about me. I only wanted to be gone for a few minutes and now it's already four o'clock." He waved at her, a true smile on his face, as he left her apartment in a rush.

Lisa smiled at her new friend's retreat, glad to have been of help. _Hopefully the two of them can sort it out._

She began thinking about ways to get Yugi and Atemu together. _I really need to hear Yami's side of the story._ She sighed. That would be quite difficult. After the last day's events, she was quite sure Atemu wouldn't want her anywhere near him. She had treated him really bad. But if he cared for Yugi at least half as much as she was hoping, then he'd talk to her.

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Atemu had decided to go to that woman's apartment that Yugi had been at the day before. Maybe she knew something about his hikari. He really needed some help, and she seemed to be a good friend of his little aibou. He simply couldn't go on like this. He needed his little one like others needed air to live.

_Now which direction was her apartment at again?_

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**- To be continued -**

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**Please review** and tell me it's not as bad as I had the feeling it was, when I read through it just earlier this day. I really need some encouraging. I hate to learn for tests. I much rather write my stories. And I usually get the best ideas when I'm sitting in the middle of book-piles (sigh).

**Istas: **Thank you for your reviews and the Japanese names. I'll try to put them in my stories when possible. To your question: Yes, Yami has closed up their mind-link entirely. He is afraid of spoiling the surprise, and he is also quite preoccupied with the preparations, so that he hardly ever has time for quick check-ups. But he has realized that little Yugi is feeling down kind of lately. He just doesn't understand he is the reason for it. He can be so dense and oblivious in my stories, can't he?

**Red Dragon Of Egypt ():** I think it would be a good idea if Yami did just that. (Grovel at his hikari's feet and kissing him senseless – hmm, gives me ideas - starry eyes look) Let's just hope the two of them ever get the chance to do so. Thanks for your review. And keep beating Yami for me. He doesn't want to show up in my stories if I ever try to reprimand him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Surprise, Surprise – Chapter 5**

**Author:** Erudit

**Warnings: **YAOI, Tea bashing, **a lot of fluff!**

**Intro: **Yugi has arrived at home, and realizes that his yami had had prepared an amazing breakfast table before Yugi had blown up on him. Atemu, in the meantime, has gotten his advice from Lisa. Will they finally make up or will Tea end up destroying everything?

**Thank you all for wishing me good luck!** I think it helped. I haven't gotten all my grades back yet, but those that I've got back, I passed. **I hope this makes up for the abrupt ending of the last chapter:**

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_Blablabla_- Thoughts

/blablabla/- Yami and Yugi talking through mind link

"blablabla"- normal talking

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Yugi sat at the kitchen table, crying silently. It almost seemed as if that was all he was good for anymore: Crying. Right now, the reason for his tears was the beautifully decorated kitchen table. He could see his favorite pancakes, hot coco with marshmallows, fruits and many other delicious things.

_It must have taken him a life-time._

Seeing the work that Atemu had put into their breakfast, Yugi felt even guiltier for his sudden outburst of anger at his dark half in the morning. And now that he had finally returned, set on trying to talk to Atemu and finally fixing their friendship, his yami had left their house. He was all alone again.

Yugi sighed, looking somewhat miserable. He knew the longer it took the ex-pharaoh to return, the harder it would be for him to talk to Atemu.

"I'm sorry Yami." Yugi told the table in front of him, and he really meant it. He just hoped he'd still have the courage to tell Atemu once the ex-pharaoh was with him in person.

As Yugi was one of those persons who simply couldn't sit still, especially when waiting for something (or in this specific case: waiting for somebody) Yugi rose from his chair, and began cleaning the table.

He was almost finished, when suddenly someone rang their doorbell. Yugi frowned as he went to open the door. Who could be wanting something from them? They hadn't had any guests for weeks. And the shop was closed for the time grandpa was gone, so it couldn't be a costumer.

He curiously looked outside from the window right next to the door. He wanted to know who their guest was before opening the door. It was a habit he'd still retained from the time he'd been bullied. He wouldn't let anybody in that looked remotely dangerous.

It was Tea. She was standing in front of the door, looking impatient with one of her feet tapping the ground and looking at her watch every other second. Yugi smiled, and finally set to open the door. She was a friend after all and no danger to him. Although, of course, recently she had taken up the habit to try to get to Atemu through him, as the ex-pharaoh wouldn't let her close to him anymore. In that aspect she was probably a danger to him after all. A danger to hurt his soul, as his yami would have put it a long time ago.

"Hello Tea!" Yugi chirped as he opened the door. He tried hard to not let any of his distress show, as he didn't want to face any of Tea's questions. But it seemed the time when Tea had been worried about him was long past, or maybe he had simply become good at hiding his feelings, as the brunette girl didn't mention anything.

"Yugi," She asked instead, "is Yami home? I need to talk to him." She smiled sweetly, and added as an afterthought: "especially after yesterday. It was so beautiful."

Yugi frowned. _Yesterday?_ Atemu had spent the day before with her? It almost seemed as if he'd finally gotten his answer to the question what his yami did all the time when pretending to work for Kaiba. He just didn't like the answer very much. He had spent all this time with Tea? But why then had he lied about it? And why the heck had he pretended to not like her? _Why the show?_

"Yugi? Are you in there? I need to see my Yami-chan." Tea interrupted his thoughts rather rudely, by poking him in the chest.

Yugi winced at the touch. He was reminded at being pushed like that by some bullies. But that was a long time ago. Tea wouldn't do something like that. He finally remembered the question. "Yami is not here." He even surprised himself at how cold his voice sounded. _And to think, I'd have almost told him I loved him. Well, I'm surely not going to tell him anything anymore._

"He's not? But we have a date coming up. He said he'd be at home." Tea said, managing to look really confused, as if she were telling the truth. Yugi, at least, completely believed her, not knowing that everything she told him was either a lie or a bend of the truth. Atemu had, after all, never wanted her to accompany him in the mall the day before.

"Well, I'm sorry. But I'll tell him you came by." Yugi could just see how he'd tell his dark half. It would probably have been better, if he'd said he'd yell it at Atemu. He was probably even angrier at the ex-pharaoh now than he had been in the morning. _He lied to me all the time because of her! He didn't want to tell me he was going out with her! _And then, while he was thinking about it, a thought hit him hard: _What if he knew all the time I loved him, and that's why he didn't tell me he was in love with Tea? Maybe that's the reason for his behavior. He didn't know how to handle a love-sick Yugi. He probably thought I'd be heart-broken the rest of my life!_

"Don't worry." Tea smiled at him, thinking his crushed look was because of displeasing her, and then brushed by him to enter the living-room. "I'll just wait for him inside."

"Good." Yugi stated through clinched teeth, as he tentatively rubbed his side, where she had rammed her elbow into as she had passed by. In reality, though, he rather wanted to yell at her and tell her to leave, as what his dark half had probably feared had happened: He was jealous. Why did Atemu have to love her? Why couldn't his yami love him? Weren't they supposed to be one? When he had seen Malik and Marik get together, and a few months later Ryou and Bakura, he'd almost believed that that was what was supposed to happen. He had almost believed Atemu would love him in the same way he loved his dark half. And to think he'd almost confessed to the ex-pharaoh, had he not started acting strange all of a sudden those few weeks ago. That had probably been the time when he had started going out with Tea. She was the reason to all their problems!

He closed the door softly, and went back into the kitchen to clean up the last bit of breakfast. Atemu had probably not prepared the table for him but for his girlfriend, and was now out looking for her, as she had not come on time. He sighed, getting back the old feeling of misery, though he bit back his tears. He'd certainly not cry in front of Tea.

When he was done putting away the last dish, he looked around for an excuse to stay downstairs a little bit longer. He simply needed to see what Atemu would do when seeing Tea. Although he knew it would probably break his heart, he needed to be sure once and for all. Then, not finding anything to do in the kitchen, he went into the living room and turned on the TV. It was his house, after all. He could do what he wanted.

Yugi tensed when he heard the bell chime. Nobody else but Atemu had the key to their house; unless his grandfather had returned early, off course.

"Aibou?" the ex-pharaoh's deep voice questioned softly. "Is that you watching TV?"

"Yes, it's me. But don't worry: your guest is here as well." Yugi answered, trying quite hard not to break out into tears, and to sound as if he didn't care.

"My guest?" Atemu wondered and Yugi could almost see the ex-pharaoh's frown. "Who are you talking about, aibou? I don't expect anybody." Then, as an afterthought, he added: "Is it Joey?" He came into the living room swiftly.

Yugi's fist tightened. How dared he to still pretend not knowing Tea was waiting for him. He rose from his place on the couch angrily, and turned around to glare at the ex-pharaoh. But Atemu was too busy ogling at Tea, to even notice Yugi. It hurt, Yugi decided, as tears welled up in his eyes. It really hurt more than he had expected. He bit back a sob, as he turned around and raced up the flight of stairs.

"Aibou!" Atemu yelled, as he saw his hikari's retreat, but Yugi didn't stop to listen to what his yami had to say. He entered his room in a hurry, and locked the door behind him although it took him three tries to find the keyhole with his key in his distress. Then, he sank onto his bed, and started once again to cry in the form of loud, pitiful sobs.

His sobs were also the reason for him not hearing the loud argument that was going on downstairs. He didn't hear Atemu yell at Tea, nor did he hear how she tried to defend herself by confessing ever-lasting love to the ex-pharaoh. He also didn't hear his yami's annoyed response, or how Atemu, with an angry motion of his hand, sent Tea into the shadow realm. He didn't hear his dark half's harsh breathing when he had finally gotten rid of this nuisance, nor did he see how Atemu looked upstairs to Yugi's closed door sadly.

The next thing Yugi really heard, was a soft knock on his door, which turned into harsh pounding all too soon, when the little light simply ignored it. Finally Yugi yelled in-between his tears: "Leave me the fuck alone, Yami!" If it was because of his choice of words or because of what he had said, he wasn't sure; all he knew was that for once Atemu seemed to really do what he had said.

It got quiet on the other side of his door, and Yugi resumed his crying, though a little bit more hushed. He was quite sure the reason for Atemu's appearance upstairs had been because he had cried to loud. It had probably interrupted the ex-pharaoh's kissing-mood or something. Yugi had, after all, not realized that Tea had disappeared into the shadow realm long ago.

"Did you really think you could lock me out that easily, aibou?" Atemu's baritone voice questioned his light.

Yugi looked up surprised, and through his tear-hazed gaze he could make out the window. He had forgotten to shut the window! His yami had climbed up a tree and had jumped into his room just to tell him to be quiet? _He must love her a lot._ Yugi stated sadly in his mind, not realizing that Atemu had once again forced open his side of the mind-link, and heard every word he thought. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" Yugi mumbled, as he turned around to hug his pillow, as once again tears rolled down his cheeks. It hurt so much to see to what an extent Atemu loved the brunet girl.

"Because I simply can't, aibou." The ex-pharaoh stated softly, while climbing onto the bed next to Yugi. "I could never leave you alone. I'd always follow you wherever you are going, don't you understand, little one?" His voice was soft, coaxing, and at the same time almost irresistibly husky with emotion. The ex-pharaoh had been talking to Lisa for an hour. It had been quite surprising how well the two of them could get along when having the same goal. Lisa had told him to confess to Yugi, to show Yugi to what an extent he really loved his little one. Well, he had been planning on doing so on the party anyways. The whole party should have shown Yugi how much the ex-pharaoh cared for his light. But, so Lisa had thought, it might be too late to tell his aibou at the party. She had advised him to do it beforehand. He had tried to get out of her if Yugi had told her anything about his feelings for his dark half. He had hoped she would tell him that Yugi felt the same anyways. It would have been much easier if he had known that Yugi loved him; but, alas, Lisa had not told him so. She had, in fact, refused to answer any such questions. So now he sat on Yugi's bed, and was about to confess everything to his little hikari. He didn't want to keep anything a secret from Yugi. And from his light's reaction downstairs, he was fairly sure that Yugi felt at least something for him. Why else would his aibou be crying?

"No, I don't understand!" Yugi stated angrily. He tightened the hold on his pillow once more, and curled around it as if to keep himself from all harm. But no harm would ever befall Yugi, as long as Atemu was around. He'd make sure to never see Yugi cry again. It broke his heart to hear Yugi's soft sobs. "Just leave me alone, Yami. I promise I'll not make much noise."

"Noise? Make noise! You don't really believe that's the reason for me coming upstairs?" He yelled, feeling a little bit desperate because he felt that Yugi really believed such. He looked at the cowering form in front of him, as he felt tears gathering in his eyes as well. It was almost as Lisa had told him. By trying to make everything perfect for his little hikari, he had in fact made everything worse. The pain that Yugi felt almost consumed his entire being, as Atemu was still monitoring his aibou's every thought and feeling. Crimson eyes closed tightly, as he felt his aibou's anguish, and finally understood why he had tried to commit suicide the day before. Then, they opened again, sparkling in the dim light with unsaid determination. He wouldn't let something like that happen again! He quickly closed the distance, and embraced Yugi tightly. At first, the boy tried to get loose by wriggling and kicking around, but Yugi soon gave up and fell limp in the ex-pharaoh's arms.

"Aibou," Atemu sighed softly, as he smelled his hikari's magnificent scent, when burying his head into Yugi's hair. All his favorite scents were mixed to one in the boy in front of him. "How can you ever think something like that? You could make all the noise you wanted to, if it wasn't for how you make the noise. Please stop crying, aibou. I can't bear to see you sad." When Yugi didn't say anything, Atemu softly continued: "And there really is no reason for you sadness, aibou. I'm so sorry for making you believe there was; I really am. Please forgive me, little one. I know I shouldn't have lied to you, and should have spent more time with you, but I wanted so badly for it to be perfect, aibou. Everything you do always comes out perfect; I wanted for once that this would be perfect as well. I wanted that you'd be proud of me, little one. I wanted that you'd be happy. Please forgive me." Atemu buried his head even deeper in his hikari's hair, his arms not loosening around Yugi one bit. "Please forgive me." He mumbled once again.

Yugi had listened to his dark half's short speech, and to say he was confused would have been an understatement. He slowly turned around to look at the ex-pharaoh. Atemu's eyes were closed, and he could make out a few crystalline drops. He had been crying as well? But why? His hand rose to cup his yami's cheek. Crimson eyes opened almost immediately. "What did you want to make perfect?" He asked imploringly, as he gazed deep into crimson eyes.

A soft smile appeared onto Atemu's face. So he still had a chance. And then, he began explaining about the party he had wanted to throw for his hikari. He told him that Yugi's friends had been helping him; that they had been spending all this time setting up things for the party; that he'd only lied to Yugi because he wanted it to be a big surprise, and that he'd hoped Yugi would be proud of him if he said he'd be helping Kaiba, his arch-rival. And he told him that Tea had been bothering him ever since he had mentioned the party; that at one time she had even threatened to tell Yugi; that he didn't like Tea at all, and that he hoped Yugi wouldn't be too mad at him for sending her on a one-way trip to the shadow realm. He also added that Tristan would be coming home for the party; that Malik, Marik and Ishizu had arrived in Domino this morning, and were waiting to see him. And he mentioned that he'd invited Lisa to their party as well, as she seemed to be a really good friend of Yugi's. All the time, while telling his aibou all the little secrets he'd kept, his hand softly stroke Yugi's cheek, as his eyes unconsciously roamed Yugi's face. His little tenshi was simply beautiful. And once he was done explaining, he added that thought as well. "Nobody is more beautiful than you, little one." He stated it in a voice of deep admiration, almost as if he was talking to a deity.

They were quiet for a few minutes after that confession. Atemu's hands still traveling over Yugi's face, a blush on said younger counterpart showing that he was quite aware of this action, even though Yugi's mind was actually a few miles away, thinking about what his yami had told him. When Yugi's eyes finally returned to Atemu's crimson ones, and when his mind finally ventured to the present, Yugi softly smiled at his darkness, his smile lightening up his features, and his eyes sparkling like stars. His arms circled around his dark half's waist, and he squeezed the ex-pharaoh tightly, burying his face into Atemu's chest. "Thank you, Yami-chan."

Atemu felt his heart beat faster at Yugi's action and soft words. He knew that was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life: Yugi in his arms, smiling at him, being happy. As long as his tenshi was happy, he'd be happy as well. And so, in this moment, without really wanting to spill the secret yet, the words that he had been so desperate to hide, flowed over his lips: "I love you, Yugi."

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**I could finish it here off course, but I've planned on letting them confess everything in this chapter, so I'm going to continue, as a thank you to all who have reviewed my story.**

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Yugi tensed in Atemu's arms, as his eyes flew open in surprise. Had his yami really said what he thought he had heard? Had Atemu said that he loved him? No, it had probably been just his wishful thinking. It was best just to act as if nothing had happened. If he asked Atemu to repeat what he'd meant, he'd surely have to answer some awkward questions.

Atemu felt his hikari flinch in his arms. His eyes closed as he mentally chided himself. How could he have been so stupid as to tell Yugi his feelings? In his own surprise he had let go of his connection to Yugi, and he could therefore not tell what Yugi thought anymore. Was his aibou disgusted with him? Was his little light thinking about ways to get rid of him now? "I'm sorry." He mumbled into his hikari's hair. "Please forgive me."

Yugi's eyes widened a little bit when he heard his dark half whisper. Then, he turned around to face the ex-pharaoh. "Sorry what for?" Their eyes met slowly, as Yugi searched them for an answer. Maybe he'd not been mistaken at all. Maybe Atemu had really confessed his love for him. Could it be?

Atemu saw his aibou's searching gaze, and knew that now was the time to be completely honest. Lisa had told him not to keep anything from Yugi anymore, and he knew quite well that she was right. If he wanted Yugi to completely trust him, Yugi needed to know everything about him; he needed to know that Atemu kept no secrets from him. And that was why Atemu finally did what he should have done all along: he opened his mind link completely, tore down the walls that he had so carefully erected all those months ago, when he had realized he had fallen in love with his hikari.

Yugi was just about to give up trying to read in his yami's eyes, when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a whole load of feelings and thoughts. He realized, quite surprised, that Atemu had opened his side of their mind-link. After gazing at the ex-pharaoh for a few seconds, he closed his eyes and concentrated completely on his dark half's feelings. Somehow he knew that Atemu had removed all the barriers he had previously used to keep Yugi from finding out too much. It was just a short strain of thought that told him so. Another, this time a bigger strain told him that Atemu had really told him that he loved him; that it hadn't been his overactive imagination.

A feeling of high elation cursed through Yugi's veins when he finally opened his eyes again. Atemu loved him! He flashed his dark half a brilliant smile. One small hand rose to tenderly cup his yami's tanned cheek.

Atemu closed his eyes, relieved that his little one wasn't absolutely disgusted with him. Surely, Yugi wouldn't act like that when being appalled by him, would he? "Yugi." He whispered softly, not knowing what else to say. He wanted to ask his little light what he was feeling for him. Not knowing how Yugi really felt for him was nearly killing him, but how could he force Yugi to tell him something like that? He needed Yugi to think over it, so that his answer was completely heart-felt. He wouldn't want Yugi to tell him that he loved him just because his little light wanted him to be happy. Atemu knew quite well that his aibou was capable of giving up his own happiness for the sake of others. He'd never let Yugi do something like that.

"Yami." Yugi answered softly, all the while affectionately stroking his dark half's cheek. Crimson eyes slowly opened again to look at the younger one. "Aishiteru, Yami." Yugi finally answered his dark half's unspoken question. "I love you." He repeated to emphasize the point. He smiled again, his eyes sparkling like stars in the night, as he in turn tore down his own walls that surrounded his most guarded thoughts, knowing fully well by now that Atemu had never ventured that far into his mind, otherwise his dark half wouldn't have been so oblivious to his feelings.

They lay like that for quite some time, each too engrossed in the other's feelings to think about anything else. Their arms were still around each other, moving slowly up and down. Finally, after hearing his stomach growl, Yugi sat up and looked at his yami questioning. "Are you hungry, Yami-chan?"

It was funny, Atemu thought, how different that name sounded when coming from Yugi. Whenever Tea had called him Yami-chan he could have strangled her, but coming from Yugi it sounded wonderful, as if that was the only thing his little hikari was supposed to call him. He nodded, and rose to join Yugi in his search for something to eat downstairs.

That evening he discovered how sweet eating could be, when having a tenshi like Yugi around. Atemu was quite sure that he had had slaves feeding him grapes and such when he had been pharaoh, but he couldn't imagine that anything could have ever tasted as good as it did when Yugi fed him. The smile on his aibou's face alone was enough to keep his heart soaring and his head spinning.

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"So this is the apartment, where you planned on having the party, Yami-chan?" Yugi asked, while tilting his head cutely to observe any kind of movement in front of them. They stood in front of a tall building, and the apartment Yugi was indicating at was supposed to be at the bottom. For a fleeting moment Yugi thought it would be perfect for a club. Joey had probably been ecstatic when seeing this place. It had always been the blonde's dream to open up a club. Up to now, though, he had not been able make his wish come true.

The two of them had gone to bed right after they had eaten supper together, as both of them had been quite tired from the events of the day. For the first time ever since Atemu had gotten his own body, the two of them shared a bed, cuddling into each other, with the ex-pharaoh's arms wrapped tightly around his younger counterpart. Or actually, it had been the second time, as they had been in a similar position the night before. But it was the first time that both of them had been really conscious enough to decide on their own if they wanted to share a bed or not.

After having gone to bed early, both of them had been awake by six o'clock in the morning. Atemu had kissed Yugi on the tip of his nose (he didn't dare to do anything else), and had wished him a happy birthday. Yugi had simply smiled one of his brilliant smiles, and had yawned cutely. Then, he'd kissed his yami's cheek gratefully, and had risen to prepare breakfast. After a few minutes of staring dreamily in space because of Yugi kissing his cheek, the ex-pharaoh had pulled himself together, and had followed his little light in the kitchen. A few seconds later, Yugi had been effectively banished from the kitchen grounds, and had sat sulking in the living room, waiting for his dark half to finish preparing breakfast. Atemu had insisted that Yugi was not to do anything on his birthday. They had fed each other again, or actually all that Yugi could remember was Atemu feeding him… had his dark half even eaten anything this morning? He glanced at the ex-pharaoh worriedly, then turned back to look at the apartment-complex in front of him. He didn't even know why he had insisted on remaining outside a little bit longer. He somehow seemed to be afraid, though he couldn't quite say what he was afraid of. Maybe he was afraid that something did not work out the way his yami had wanted it to? Was that it? He didn't want his dark half to be disappointed?

"Are you ready to go inside now, aibou?" The ex-pharaoh glanced at his hikari worriedly, not really understanding why Yugi hadn't wanted to go inside yet. Usually the little one was quite impatient and couldn't wait to open his presents or see a surprise. He could feel the anxiousness coming from the other side of the link.

"Sure!" Yugi agreed happily, flashing his dark half another smile. He couldn't deny he was looking forward to the party, and to seeing his friends again. He let the ex-pharaoh know of his happiness through their mind-link, then kissed Atemu on his cheek again, and dragged the stunned looking yami in the direction of the apartment-complex.

"Yugi! My little buddy!" Joey yelled, when seeing the hikari and Yugi was soon surrounded by a group of friends. Ryou was offering him some pixy-sticks; Malik and Marik were trying to tell him something in ancient Egyptian; Joey grinned broadly, and padded his shoulder; Tristan was doing the same as Joey on the other side of Yugi; Serenity and Mai were yelling something over Ryou's shoulder; Duke was holding a plate of cookies in front of Yugi's nose, at the same time trying to push Tristan away from Serenity; Ishizu and Shadi were calmly standing behind Marik, smiling at Yugi encouragingly.

Yugi's favorite music played softly in the background. The hikari guessed Atemu had arranged that as well. The ex-pharaoh seemed to have planned even the smallest detail. The tapestry of the apartment was the same as the tapestry in his room. It was his favorite design. Red and purple garlands and balloons decorated the room. They instantly reminded Yugi of his and Atemu's eye-color. On the walls hung pictures of people and duel monsters he liked. He could even make out a picture of him and the gang at the other side of the room. Yugi smiled softly at the realization of how carefully his yami had planned this party. His smile widened when he saw Rebecca, Professor Hawkins and his grandpa in the back of the room, patiently waiting for him. He rushed over to greet them immediately, followed by the rest of his friends.

In all the commotion Yugi didn't see how Atemu stepped up to Seto Kaiba and Bakura, and how the three of them started talking lively. Then, Atemu nodded, and the three of them went to one of the adjoined rooms.

Yugi, in the meantime, was enjoying himself immensely. His friends told him various stories out of their present lives (how Bakura had once again succeeded in blasting apart their closet in a frantic search for his favorite pair of pants; how Seto Kaiba broke off a contract because of the man staring at Joey for a considerate amount of time; the problems Tristan had had with talking French; how Rebecca had won a science-prize in college, and many other things), and he finally forgot that he had, just a few days ago, thought that he had been completely forgotten.

In the end, when the most important things were exchanged, he was dragged and shoved in front of a big pile of presents by Ryou, Malik and Joey.

"Open them!" His friends suggested.

Yugi nodded happily, and began looking around for Atemu. He wanted his dark half close by when opening the presents. He also needed to thank his dark half for preparing all of that. "Where's Yami?"

His friends immediately began looking around for Yugi's dark half, realizing for the first time that their host was indeed gone.

"I'm here, aibou." Atemu stepped out of the shadows and nodded encouragingly. "Go ahead, open your presents, little one. You, most of all, deserve them." The ex-pharaoh joined the crowd of Yugi's friends, and together they watched as Yugi opened one present after the other.

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"Thank you, guys!" Yugi smiled brightly at his friends after opening the last present, holding a stack of cards, several kinds of sweets and a Kuriboh-plushy in his hands. The ground around him was littered with pieces of wrappers and clothes, several games and books.

"You're not completely done with opening your presents yet, Yugi." Seto Kaiba announced. The CEO and Bakura came back into the room, and while Seto Kaiba went over to Yugi, Bakura came to a halt next to his hikari, and gave the ex-pharaoh the thumbs up. Nobody else but Atemu saw it, though.

Seto Kaiba carried a small box in his hands. "This present is from Joey and me, although the puppy insisted on giving you some cards as well. But consider this as our real present. It was Yami's idea, so you can give him some credit for it as well, I suppose." The box was softly placed in Yugi's hands, as the small hikari stared at it confusedly. What could be in the box? He shook it softly, listening closely to the sound it made. It sounded broken!

"Come on, buddy open it!" Joey encouraged impatiently. The blonde wanted to see his friend's reaction to the present. "It's not gonna bite you, ya know."

Yugi smiled at Joey's antics. The blonde would probably have jumped up and down like a little child as well, had his boyfriend not embraced him tightly. Therefore, only his head bobbed up and down.

Yugi's gaze went back to the present, and with a few practiced flicks of his hands, another wrapper joined the pieces on the floor, and Yugi held in his hands … a key. He stared at it in wonder. _A key? What's that supposed to mean? A key to what?_

As if sensing his questions, Seto Kaiba spoke up again. "This is the key to this apartment. It now officially belongs to you; with everything in it, naturally."

"Not including us, of course." Joey piped up, smiling broadly at Yugi's stunned expression. The small light's mouth hung open and his eyes almost seemed to pop out of his skull in his surprise.

Seto Kaiba cleared his throat to get back everybody's attention. "I've got the papers in the back. You'll get them later. We've already put in all the essential details for you. It is paid off already as well, off course. You can do with it whatever you want." There was a hint in this last sentence that Yugi, even though he was still stunned, caught on to. They all knew that he needed no apartment. He planned on living with his grandpa in the Kame game shop. So why had he been given this as a present? Then, as if somebody had turned on a light bulb in his head (in fact, he could've sworn he could hear a click), the real meaning behind this sentence hit him. Off course! Joey had always wanted an apartment like this one to open up his club. It was so simple, really!

"You know, Joey. About that idea of yours…concerning this club…" He stated vaguely, hoping his friend would get the hint.

"You'd really allow me to open up the club here, in your apartment!" The blonde, bounced out of his boyfriend's arms, and embraced Yugi tightly, stars in his eyes and happy tears cursing down his cheeks. "Thank you, thank you so much."

Yugi laughed. "As long as you don't hug me to death, you can use this place for your club. But now, Joey…" The hikari was already turning awfully red in his face, "…I need air to breath!" He coughed out, his voice sounding a bit strained.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that, ol' buddy, ol' pal." Joey released him from his death-grip, and softly padded Yugi's shoulder until the hikari's coughing fit ended. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks Joey." Yugi looked over his friend's shoulder to see Atemu and Seto smile. Then, the CEO dragged Joey away from the hikari, and all fell silent as Yugi's yami stepped forward. Atemu cleared his throat, as his cheeks turned slightly red from embarrassment. Yugi looked at his dark half surprised. Atemu wasn't one to get embarrassed easily. He wondered what all of that was about. He supposed it was because of Atemu's gift for him. He had noticed, when opening the presents, that his dark half's present was not among the others. In fact, there was no present from his yami at all.

"Aibou." The ex-pharaoh cleared his throat again, when realizing how hoarse his voice sounded. It was completely silent around them. Not even Bakura was sniggering.

_That's odd_, thought Yugi. _It must be something really important._ "We can go in the other room, if you want to be alone, Yami." He suggested.

Atemu shook his head. "Aibou, I want everybody to hear what I have to say to you now." He sighed while thinking about how to begin. "First off, I want to state how sorry I am about lying to you, and about all the things my lies made you think. Please forgive me, little one." The ex-pharaoh gazed at Yugi intently, his ruby eyes never leaving amethyst ones. Yugi could feel the sincerity through their link. "I've told you yesterday, and I want to tell you today and every day for the rest of my life that I love you with all my heart. Nothing is ever going to change that, little one. My heart is in your hands, for you to do with it whatever you see fit." Atemu stopped again, stepping closer to Yugi, his hands holding something behind his back. Yugi didn't dare to try to see what it was, though; he was mesmerized, his gaze fixed upon his partner.

"I think I've loved you ever since we've met. I just didn't realize it right away, and when I had realized it, I was too afraid of rejection to confess. I'm sorry for my weakness, aibou." Yugi opened his mouth to protest, his yami was not weak at all, but Atemu held up one of his hands, effectively silencing the hikari.

"You're wrong, aibou. I am weak. I just always try to cover it up to make you believe that I'm strong and never wrong. I want you to completely rely on me. I'm quite selfish, aibou. I want to be the only important one in your life. I'm sorry about that as well; you've got so many great friends…" Atemu turned to look at Yugi's friends for a second, then he turned back to his hikari, sighing. "It's in my nature, you know. I was pharaoh once. It is difficult to accept that I'm not the most important person in the world anymore…" Yugi opened his mouth again, and was once again silenced by his yami. "…especially when concerning you. You are the most important person to me, aibou. Nobody will ever hold this place inside of my heart." The ex-pharaoh laughed softly. "Ra, sometimes I think that there is no room left in my heart. It is completely filled with you. Everything seems unimportant compared to you."

Tears gathered at Yugi's eyes at his yami's words. This was simply beautiful. Nobody had ever told him something like that, and he doubted that anybody would ever try. _Why me? How could he ever love somebody like me?_

Atemu stepped even closer, so that he was now standing right in front of Yugi. They could feel each other's body heat. Gently, the ex-pharaoh wiped away the tears, although one of his hands was still hidden behind Atemu's back. /Don't ever think something like that again, aibou. You're worth much more than I can give you./ Out loud he said: "I wish so badly to still be pharaoh, aibou, so that I could place the world to your feet. Sadly, there's not much I can offer you now, safe the promise to do everything in my powers to see you happy. One word from you, and I'll try to make it come true, one wish and I'll try to fulfill it for you." Atemu's tanned hand softly cupped Yugi's cheeks, while staring into amethyst eyes, shining of love and unshed happy tears. Yugi smiled.

Then, the ex-pharaoh pulled out a golden band from behind his back, and held it up to Yugi. "This will remind you of my promise even when I'm not right by your side, little one. This ring is the promise of my ever-lasting love for you; and also the promise to marry you, once you're ready." He put the ring softly in one of Yugi's hands, and closed the hikari's fingers around it. Then, he turned around and left the room to wait for his light in the adjoined room.

The metal was warm, Yugi noted absent-mindedly. He slowly opened his hand, and gazed at the golden band. He raised it to his eyes and looked at it closely. So intent upon looking at the ring was he, in fact, that he failed to notice his yami leaving the room. Inside of the ring was written _Forever yours, Atemu _in the ex-pharaoh's handwriting. The small hikari smiled, and then looked up to gaze at his friends in surprise. Where had Atemu disappeared to?

"He's in the back room, waiting for you." Bakura stated, still not showing any sign of disgust because of Atemu's sweet declaration of love. Yugi nodded, gratefully, and went to join his yami. When he was gone, Bakura pulled Ryou into a deep kiss, apparently inspired by the ex-pharaoh's romantic declaration.

"I was just about to do the same." Stated Seto Kaiba, and pulled his puppy in an equally deep kiss. Malik grinned at the happenings, and decided he wanted to be kissed as well. He turned to look at his yami with big puppy dog eyes. The others just happily watched Yugi's retreat.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Lisa barged into the room, bending over, holding her stomach, and panting for breath. In her left hand she held a pretty wrapped package. "Did I miss something?" She asked Yugi's friends, and was soon told a detailed story of what had happened. A wide grin spread over Lisa's face the further the story advanced.

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Yugi closed the door and turned to look around for his yami. He had automatically slipped the golden band on his finger, and was now twirling it nervously. It was so dark. He couldn't make out a thing. Suddenly, he was pulled against a soft form. He squeaked softly in surprise. Atemu chuckled.

/You know, aibou, for a moment I thought I had blown it and you wouldn't come." The ex-pharaoh then stated truthfully.

/Why are you so afraid? I've told you yesterday already that I loved you with all my heart./ Yugi wanted to know. He had never seen his yami that insecure.

/Feelings can change./ Atemu said. /People can pretend./

/Mine won't./ Yugi ensured. /And I don't./

/Really/

/Really./ Yugi stated firmly. Then, needing to say it out loud: "I love you, Yami." He could feel relief from the other side of the link.

/I'm glad. I don't know what I would've done if you hated me now./

/You baka. I could never hate you, Yami./

They stood in silence for a few seconds, each of them basking in the love the other send through the mind link. Finally, Yugi interrupted the silence. "Are you going to kiss me now, or am I going to have to wait for the rest of my life?" His joke had the wanted response as he felt his dark half chuckle.

/Do you really think I'm only going to kiss you once/ The ex-pharaoh wanted to know.

/Nani/ Yugi wondered. But before he could continue saying anything soft lips descended upon his own, and his mind went blank.

Yugi felt tingly all over. Sparks flew from where his lips touched those of his yami, and spread throughout his entire body. He felt his hands wander into Atemu's hair on their own accord. He had no power over his actions anymore. His body pressed itself against the ex-pharaoh, eliciting a moan from his dark half.

Yugi jumped slightly, when he felt Atemu's tongue tracing his lower lip, begging for entrance. He had never been kissed before in his life, but right at that moment it seemed as if he had been kissing his dark half all the time. It felt right to be doing this. Yugi opened his mouth slowly, and let Atemu's tongue enter. His dark half moaned again, appreciating Yugi's taste. The tongue began to map out Yugi's mouth until Yugi himself grew impatient, and began teasing it with his own tongue. A battle ensued between the two of them. The air around them grew hot; Yugi felt sweat-drops gathering at his temple.

He could feel Atemu shiver next to him, underneath his touch, and began trembling in excitement as well when Atemu's hands wandered underneath his shirt. They moved to his back and began drawing long, slow circles. He sighed in appreciation, and tried to get even closer to the ex-pharaoh.

Atemu pulled away to draw in a ragged breath, and gasped when he felt his hikari's leg touch his groin. His hands tightened around Yugi's waist, as he pulled the little one closer, and he bent his head for yet another kiss.

This time, the kiss was slow and sensual, even though the passion never completely left it. Their tongues performed a dance, as if they'd never done anything else. A warm feeling spread from Yugi's head to toe, and began accumulating around his groin. Yugi pushed himself into his dark half again, hoping to draw out another moan. Yami didn't disappoint him. His hands began to slowly wander down from Atemu's hair over his chest to rest on his hips. He pulled the ex-pharaoh closer, wanting to get that amazing feeling he had gotten the last time he had pushed his groin against Atemu's again. So this is what ecstasy feels like, his mind stated, as stars exploded all around him.

"Y-yugi." Atemu groaned in-between breaths, his hands trying to keep Yugi from moving. "We've got to stop now, little one."

But Yugi didn't want to stop. To emphasize his point, he pushed against his darkness again. He could see the ex-pharaoh's crimson eyes widen at the touch, lust and passion shone clearly in Atemu's gaze. Another moan followed. He responded to it immediately, enjoying the new-found power he seemed to have over his dark half. He rose to plant a soft kiss on Atemu's lips. The kiss grew from soft to another passion-filled war until both of them had to stop because of lack of air.

"Little one, i-it's n-not t-time yet." The ex-pharaoh tried again, his hands shaking from pent-up frustration. /Not here. Not in front of them./ He explained through their mind-link, seemingly having lost the ability to speak out loud.

Yugi resigned, the last bit of reason telling him that it would be extremely uncomfortable to be found in certain conditions by his friends. He stopped his actions, though his mouth rose to Atemu's once again. The ex-pharaoh sighed when their lips met. Yugi closed his eyes again and let himself be lost inside his darkness' mouth. He could smell and taste exotic spices all around him. /Wonderful./ He let his dark half know, sending feelings of love and appreciation through their mind-link. His tongue traced Atemu's teeth carefully to not miss anything. Then, he moved to Atemu's tongue and challenged it again. Another moan, this time his own, was to be heard, when his tongue was softly pushed back into his own mouth, Atemu completely dominating their kiss.

Atemu chuckled pleased, and forced himself to stop kissing his aibou. Their eyes met again, glistening in the darkness, filled with love. Their breathing was still ragged, they held onto each other for support, both of them afraid their legs might give way. Atemu smiled one of his rare smiles. "How about we cut your cake, aibou? And you've got to blow out the candles…and make a wish, too." The smile turned into a mischievous grin as Atemu added: "We don't want Joey to eat the entire cake on his own, do we?"

Yugi slapped his yami's arm playfully, and then let himself be pulled back to his friends, the big, bright smile never leaving his face.

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**Thank you all for reading my story, and even more so for reviewing it! You really built me up. **I didn't think, and I'm still not completely sure I am a good writer. Hopefully, though, you liked my story.

**For now this story is completed, although I'm trying to write a lemon-chapter to finish it off entirely. I've never written something like that before, so it might take me some time.**

**Istas: **I'm quite happy you've reviewed all of my stories. I quite enjoy reading them. Also, I consider you as one of my friends on this site. You've been a great help! Thank you very much! (And please keep reading my stories!)

**A/N: To all of you who are waiting for my other stories to be continued: **I'm working on it and hopefully I'll have one or two chapters ready by the end of next week. Please bear with me.


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